64 days to Inauguration -- Tonight’s cable today: Ball in her court -- Bill Clinton vetting issues could sink HRC as SecState, but he plans to step up shortlyBy:
MIKE ALLEN
on November 17, 2008 @ 10:43 AM

Arianna guest-hosts for Rachel Maddow -- DNC Chairman Howard Dean is 60 today -- Third Way out tomorrow with a report on public trust in government

BREAKING -- Citigroup Inc. cutting 53,000 more jobs worldwide, down 20 percent from its peak of 375,000 at the end of 2007. Had already announced 22,000 cut from that level. Had posted four straight quarterly losses. -- AP

Good Monday morning. SIREN: Team Obama, after all but offering SecState to Senator Clinton, is expressing EXASPERATION with the Clinton camp for the difficulty in getting a clean vet on President Bill Clinton’s many entanglements. “The ball is very much in her court, but the president's finances have been a major point of sensitivity from day one,” a Democratic official said. (“Day One!”) “Given that everyone's mystified by how deliberately public the Clintons have made this once secret process, the assumption is either that the Clintons are trying to use the public buzz to steamroll their way in, create a sense of inevitability that overcomes those concerns, or that it's just a matter of time before they … satisfy vetting somehow, some way. Otherwise, after all this speculation, there’ll be a permanent dark cloud hanging over her finances. … But generally the sense among the no-drama Obama world is: This is well on its way to winning best Oscar for drama.”

RELAX: President Clinton was in Rotterdam and Kuwait over the past four days and got back this morning. It seems reasonable for a couple to want to talk about a life decision over the kitchen table rather than over a crackly cell connection 10 time zones away.

In Kuwait, the former president sure sounded like a man who wanted this for his wife, so he will presumably do now what he would have had to do if she'd won. AFP quoted WJC as saying at an economic conference sponsored by the National Bank of Kuwait: “If he decided to ask her and they did it together, I think she'll be really great as a secretary of state. … She worked very hard for his election after the primary fight with him, and so did I, and we were very glad that he won and we have a lot of confidence that he can do a good job. But she didn't do what she did with the hope or expectation of getting any kind of job offer, much less having this discussed.”

Politico’s Glenn Thrush: “Clinton foundation barrier to Sec. of State post”: “Barack Obama isn’t likely to offer the Secretary of State post to Hillary Clinton unless he’s given assurances Bill Clinton’s global charitable foundation won’t create future conflicts of interest with foreign governments, according to a person familiar with the situation. … The Clinton Global Initiative has earned widespread plaudits for its efforts to eradicate AIDS, malaria and poverty in Africa. But it could prove problematic for Obama if the former president continues to seek donations from foreign countries – at the same time his wife is asking them for diplomatic concessions as Secretary of State. … The Clinton Global initiative, which has raised more than $30 billion since 2005, has solicited major donations from a handful of foreign governments, including a $1 billion pledge from Norway in 2007.

***“Obama’s vetting team expressed similar worries about Bill Clinton’s overseas fundraising when Hillary Clinton was briefly considered for the vice-presidency, former Clinton aides say.”

A neutral Democrat tells Playbook: "I doubt that they are looking for an excuse to pick someone else but rather are genuinely concerned that Bill Clinton’s work, while worthy, would be greatly complicating if she were SecState."

“A TEAM OF LAWYERS” -- N.Y. Times’ Peter Baker and Helene Cooper, A1: “A team of lawyers trying to facilitate the potential nomination spent the weekend looking into Mr. Clinton’s philanthropic organization, interactions with foreign governments and ties to pharmaceutical companies, a Democrat close to both camps said. … More than a dozen advisers to both sides said Sunday that although they did not have firm information, they considered it improbable that Mr. Obama would have opened the door to Mrs. Clinton’s appointment without having decided, at least in principle, that he would like to make it happen. Rejecting her after letting the possibility become so public would risk a new rupture in a party that spent much of the year divided between Mr. Obama and the Clintons.”

64 days to Inauguration -- Tonight’s cable today: Ball in her court -- Bill Clinton vetting issues could sink HRC as SecState, but he plans to step up shortly

POINT, PHILIPPE – Correction in today’s N.Y. Times: “A Political Memo article on Saturday about a trip by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to Chicago on Thursday to speak privately with President-elect Barack Obama about what role she might play in his administration misattributed the statement that Mrs. Clinton went there on “personal business.” The comment was from media reports, which turned out to be wrong; it was not made by Mrs. Clinton’s spokesman. (Mrs. Clinton’s office said only that she had no public schedule on Thursday.)”

--Gov. Howard Dean is 60 today. He’ll be in D.C., and the staff has a few surprises in store to mark the day and thank him for the last four years. So mum’s the word!

MAKING NEWS TOMORROW -- THIRD WAY, the non-profit, non-partisan think tank advancing a 21st century progressive agenda, will release a new report, "Change You Can Believe in Needs a Government You Can Trust," by Bill Galston and Elaine Kamarck, examining the history of public trust in government.

PAULSON TO ADDRESS FORTUNE 500 CONFERENCE, co-presented by Time: “Henry M. Paulson, United States Treasury Secretary, will make the keynote address on the state of the economy at the Fortune 500® Forum, co-presented by Fortune and TIME, being held December 1-3 in Washington, D.C. The conference will bring the top executives of the nation’s foremost companies together with thought leaders, policymakers, Washington insiders, and change agents to look beyond their own industries, expertise, and networks, and focus on the issues most important to big business. The Fortune 500 Forum will analyze America’s competitiveness in the global market, as well as its policies on the economy, health care, and energy. Confirmed speakers include Sheila Bair, Chair of the FDIC; Richard Ward, CEO, Lloyd’s; Paula Rosput Reynolds, Vice Chairman and Chief Restructuring Officer, American International Group, Inc.; and Kenneth I. Chenault, Chairman and CEO, American Express Company; Frederick Smith, Chairman, President, and CEO, Fed Ex Corp.; Randall L. Stephenson, Chairman, President, and CEO, AT&T Inc.”

MAKING NEWS TOMORROW, from New America Foundation release: Eric Schmidt -- Chairman and CEO of Google, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the New America Foundation, and a member of President-Elect Barack Obama's Transition Economic Advisory Board -- will be in Washington tomorrow to discuss the intersection between technology and the economy. Schmidt will explore the ways in which technology can help the new administration and Congress address two of the biggest challenges ahead: generating the kind of short- and long-term economic and job growth that can help pull the nation out of financial distress, and restoring public trust in government. He will offer specifics on such topics as the need to build a 21st Century infrastructure, support for research and innovation, repairs for our education system, and ways to make the government more open and responsive. Schmidt's remarks will be followed by a Q&A session. Space is limited for this event; please RSVP if you plan to attend. This event will also be webcast live.

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON FILLS IN FOR RACHEL MADDOW TONIGHT: “The lineup for tonight's Rachel Maddow show, which I'll be guest hosting, is coming together. Google CEO Eric Schmidt will join me to discuss the ways Obama can harness the Internet to make his administration more transparent, more efficient, more participatory -- and more effective. Bill Maher will talk about what effect an Obama White House might have on political satire. Newark mayor Cory Booker will weigh in on the impact the economic crisis is having on America's inner cities. And FiveThirtyEight.com's Nate Silver will crunch the latest numbers in the Alaska, Georgia, and Minnesota Senate races. We are still pulling together the rest of the show, so keep submitting your suggestions for topics and guests in the comments section -- and be sure to tune in tonight at 9 pm on MSNBC.

CNN/ ORC POLL: 3/4 OF AMERICANS ARE CONFIDENT PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA WILL MAKE THE RIGHT CABINET PICKS.

THE BIG IDEA – “Obama Cabinet Must Balance Gravitas, New Faces,” Albert R. Hunt, the executive editor for Washington at Bloomberg News: “Barack Obama has had an almost perfect two weeks. He will make mistakes in the transition; everyone does. He especially needs to walk a delicate line as he forms a new government. Since Nov. 4, though, his tone, balance, appointments, priorities and few policy actions have been on key. … It is striking how well prepared this political newcomer is. What John McCain called his arrogant presumptiveness during his campaign is turning into a valuable strength in the most dicey transition since 1932, one that didn't go well. … On policy and politics, Obama has been collegial with the Bush administration without being collaborative. He is neither committing his administration to policies it may wish to change nor appearing to undercut the current administration. Obama has talked to foreign leaders but has resisted entreaties to get involved in early policy direction.

“Smartly, he is filling his White House staff before the Cabinet. Bill Clinton did it the other way and had a chaotic first two years. … The selection of the tough, and sometimes combative, Chicago congressman, Rahm Emanuel, to be chief of staff was enlightened. Emanuel can deliver bad news, often with relish, understands the interplay of politics and policy as well as anybody in Washington, and knows how to play Congress. … You need smart retreads … Two months from today, as these men and women undertake the daunting challenges ahead, it'll be instructive to look at the top 50 appointments -- secretaries and deputies, the top dozen White House appointments and a few others -- and apply two tests: is this a truly talented and diverse collection of the best people and are half of these men and women new and fresh, not retreads of the 1990s? If Barack Obama threads that delicate needle, he'll be ready to govern.”

CONGRESS RETURNS -- In “The Huddle,” Politico’s Martin Kady II says this week’s session will put the “lame” in “lame duck”: “[A]n economic stimulus is dead, the auto bailout is teetering and lots of senators are missing. … This week is more about personality than policy, with leadership races and internal fights dominating while real substantive work is looking less and less likely.”

L.A. Times A1, “Pileup foreseen if Big 3 crash: The Big Three's fortunes steer thousands of suppliers nationally. One report puts 2.5 million jobs at risk if a carmaker fails.”

DANA PERINO SAYS IN A STATEMENT THIS MORNING: “The Administration does not want U.S. automakers to fail, and in fact we support assistance to automakers….. We believe this assistance should come from the program created by Congress that was specifically designed to assist the automakers -- from the $25 billion Department of Energy loan program. …

“There are three reasons why we oppose using TARP funds: 1) The TARP program was never intended by Congress to assist automakers or other sectors of the economy -- it was solely intended to deal with what is an ongoing credit crisis in our financial sector. 2) Opening the TARP program to firms outside the financial sector is a slippery slope. If automakers receive assistance from the TARP program, other industries will follow. 3) Every dollar taken from the TARP program for other industries is one dollar less available to deal with the ongoing financial crisis. While progress has been made in improving credit markets, these markets remain fragile and are not yet functioning as efficiently as needed to have a healthy market. Diverting funds from this effort is dangerous and will limit the effectiveness of the TARP program.”

AS PREDICTED HERE, SEN. SCHUMER HITS A PUBLICITY JACKPOT FOR HIS DECISION TO distribute about 350 inaugural tickets through a random drawing conducted through his Web site. The cover of the N.Y. Daily News has Obama’s picture (ouch) and the “wood” is: “HEY, YOU NEVER KNOW! It’s the Obama lottery as demand for Inauguration tickets explodes.”

SUMMIT AFTERMATH – AP/Paris, “Summit gets mixed grades”: “This weekend's Washington summit on tackling the world financial crisis did little to dent a looming economic slowdown but offered developing countries such as China and India an important larger role, European and Asian observers said Monday. Markets in Asia and Europe seemed skeptical about the results of the closely watched Group of 20 meeting in Washington, with major stock indexes mixed Monday on both continents — one sign that investors may have low expectations about its impact.”

An earlier dispatch from AP/Tokyo was harsher: “Analysts, investors and media expressed concern Monday that a weekend summit of world leaders aimed at tackling the global financial crisis -- and preventing future debacles -- was high on symbolism but low on action.”

AFP: “Japan slips into recession after lackluster G20: Japan became the latest major country to fall into recession Monday as global economic fears deepened after a Washington summit offered markets scant hope for action to contain the damage, analysts said.”

THE WILDERNESS – HuffPost’s Thomas B. Edsall, “The Next RNC Chair: Captain Of The GOP Titanic?” on the “GOP Titanic”: “GOP aspirants face the possibility of a nightmare scenario: taking the helm of a party so weighed down by doctrinaire hard-liners and hectoring moralists that no one, especially an RNC chair, will be able to change course and avoid a tsunami of culturally disinherited, secularizing 'creatives,' Hispanics, African Americans, and a young netroot-savvy demographic cohort larger than the Baby Boom.”

Politico’s Jonathan Martin: “GOP officials and strategists at party conferences last week offered sharply contrasting assessments of what went wrong, and of how difficult it will be to rebuild. Perhaps not surprisingly, the split tended to fall along generational lines. Older party hands pointed to John McCain’s lackluster campaign and the difficult terrain Republicans found themselves battling on this year, and eschewed any sky-is-falling rhetoric. The up-and-comers, meanwhile, sounded the alarm of impending permanent minority status unless the party changes.”

WashTimes’ Stephen Dinan, “Cantor says GOP is no longer 'relevant': Urges real solutions on health care, economy”: “Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, poised to ascend to House Republicans' No. 2 leader this week, said the Republican Party in Washington is no longer "relevant" to voters and must stop simply espousing principles. Instead, it must craft real solutions to health care and the economy. ‘Where we have really fallen down is, we have lacked the ability to be relevant to people's lives. Let's set aside the last eight years, and our falling down in living up to expectations of what we said we were going to do,’ Mr. Cantor told The Washington Times in his district office outside of Richmond. ‘It's the relevancy question.’ As chief deputy whip, Mr. Cantor, 45, was the logical choice to move up when Republicans' current whip, Rep. Roy Blunt, stepped aside - something Mr. Blunt announced days after Republicans lost at least 20 seats in the House.”

BUSINESS BURST – N.Y. Post cover, “GOLDMAN SACKED: Bank bigs’ bonuses bounced”: “Caught in the global fiscal crisis and facing increased public scrutiny, the longtime king of the investment banks said yesterday that its seven top execs will not be getting bonuses this year, in a move that could lead to similar cuts across Wall Street. The executives - who are accustomed to the highest salaries in financial services - went to their board of directors on Friday with a proposal to give up the bonuses, the company said. The board granted the request yesterday.”

SPORTS BLINK – The WashTimes' prolific Jon Ward: “President-elect Obama on Sunday said the National Collegiate Athletic Association should institute a college football playoff system, and vowed that he will push them to do so. ‘This is important,’ Mr. Obama said, at the end of a nearly 40-minute interview with CBS News' ‘60 Minutes.’ ‘I'm gonna throw my weight around a little bit. I think it's the right thing to do,’ he said. ‘I think any sensible person would say that if you've got a bunch of teams who play throughout the season, and many of them have one loss or two losses, there's no clear decisive winner that we should be creating a playoff system,’ Mr. Obama said. ‘Eight teams. That would be three rounds, to determine a national champion. It would it would add three extra weeks to the season. You could trim back on the regular season. I don't know any serious fan of college football who has disagreed with me on this.’”

DESSERT, FOR JOSH AND ALI – “24” PREQUEL – USA Today: “Jack hasn't been back for 18 months. That's as long as Agent Bauer spent in that Chinese prison after the show's fifth season. For die-hard fans of Fox's 24, the wait amounts to their own form of torture, so many will savor Sunday's ‘24: Redemption’ (8 ET/PT), a two-hour real-time prequel to Season 7, due Jan. 11. The movie is designed to fill in the gaps and restart the franchise. Blame last winter's writers' strike for the delay. The series had filmed just eight episodes before the three-month walkout; unable to deliver all 24 in time for its January to May schedule, the season was shelved for a year. There was worry in a depressed TV climate whether the long ‘Sopranos’-style break would hurt chances of the series maintaining its audience, especially after what many critics considered a sub-par sixth season in which it averaged 13.2 million viewers. So Fox executives asked for a two-hour movie and suggested it be set on Inauguration Day, the better to capitalize on the real-life one that will take place less than two months later.”

Dear Barack Obama, You shrewd SOB ! It came to me in the shower this morning. Like a stream of sunlight on a cloudy day. an epiphany. I know your smart and now this streak of "EVIL GENIUS "..... Oh your good !.... Putin is in for a treat. Yes it's clear now, The whole Clinton Sec. of State thing. You get all of Bill's twisted tale of globalization and insider bribery. You get Hillary to quit the senate and lose her seniority. Then you get to fire her!... Brilliant ! YOU THE MAN !!!!Karl

Bill Clinton has gotten too big for his own boots and has forgotten thehumble root where he came from. He has gone too arrogant for his own good. Since the time he was caught having his extra-marital affair, he has become a changed man.